1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
We are a luxury brand agency, bringing global brands to South Africa. We also consult global brands who want to come to Africa. We are also looking at local brands with the potential to go global.
2. When, how and why did you start your business?
We started Luna Belle Ventures in April 2022.
3. What is your role in the business?
Co-founder and Director
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
I have quite an expansive background, but I started in Sports Therapy. I have also studied Chinese medicine, impact investment, conservation, and humanitarian work and now focusing on brands and fashion.
5. How did you finance your business?
A business partner as an investor.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
There is nothing set in stone, predictable, or the same every day. Being an entrepreneur and also consulting in the impact investing space, every single day is different. Some days are spent at my office in the Winelands, some days in my store in Cape Town, or sometimes I am travelling somewhere in South Africa or overseas. That is what I love about it.
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A balance is a constant challenge, I try to be done with work early evenings but most days that does not easily happen. When you run your own business, there is never an ‘off’ button, there is always something to do, especially in the early days as an entrepreneur.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
I enjoy making a difference, be it bringing a luxury brand to South Africa so we can experience global brands firsthand or creating impact strategies, making a difference is something I truly live for. To me, I am never just building a business or a brand but rather building a community.
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
Walking in nature without any distractions.
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
Social media, traditional press, and creating influence and desirability by seeding it to the right people.
11. What is next for your business?
To take our eyewear brand CHIMI, to the rest of South Africa. We launched and opened our store in Cape Town in 2023 and now we are looking at growing into Johannesburg and Durban. We are also planning to continue identifying new global brands to bring into South Africa and selecting local brands to take globally.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
Be realistic about your goals and find a mentor to help you determine a roadmap on how to get started. Collaboration is key! It is not easy every day but it’s why you need a community around you and a mentor who can help you stay motivated as you go on your entrepreneurial journey.
Biography
Nicolene Anley is an entrepreneur, humanitarian, and circular-impact adviser dedicated to making a difference. She is the Co-Founder and Director of Luna Belle Ventures, where she merges her deep knowledge of brands with sustainability and circular impact. Luna Belle Ventures sources covetable international brands for the South African market, focusing on those that go ‘beyond luxury’.
Anley’s philosophy is to align luxury with tangible impact, believing those who appreciate luxury can significantly influence positive change. Additionally, she guides brands in developing and implementing impact strategies, emphasizing sustainability in the fashion space. Anley also leads OCAL Global, an NGO supporting differently-abled children, and works on conservation efforts in Kenya.
